Cheese-press.



Patented Jan. 14,1902; M. MOKINNUN.

CHEESE PRESS (Application filedJune 15, 1901.)

(No-Model.)

llhtrTnn TaTns PATENT Trina MANNING MOKINNON, OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS, \VISCONSIN.

CHEESE-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,985, dated January 14, 1902.

Application filed June 15, 1901. Serial No. 64,681. (No model- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MANNING MCKINNON, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sheboygan Falls, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cheese- Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Myinvention has for its main object to provide for increasing the range of pressure in that type of presses designed for acting upon rows of hooped cheese; and it consists in a peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly set forth, with reference to the accompanying drawings, and subsequently claimed.

Figure l of the drawings represents a 1ongitudinal section view of the upper portion of a cheese-press made to incorporate myimprovements; Fig. 2, a plan view of what is shown in the first figure, and Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view on planes indicated by line 3 3 in said first figure.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents each of a pair of parallel frame-beams, and B supporting-guides for a row of hooped cheese, these beams and guides being common in cheese-presses of-the type aforesaid. In practice the frame embodying said beams and guides is supported on legs over a receptacle in which to catch whey that is forced out of the cheese.

The press-frame is provided at its ends with inwardly-projecting supports 0 for a loose beam D between the guides B, and a rack E on the under side of this beam has the teeth thereof beveled in a direction opposite that of the teeth of other racks F on the upper edges of the frame-beams A aforesaid.

A right-angle bracket G is supported on the upper side of beam D free of same, and a follower-block II is made fast to the vertical arm of said bracket. In pivotal connec; tion with bracket Gr at the intersection of its arms is a yoke I, that straddles beam D and engages rack E, this yoke being made with a counterweighteloop I at an angle thereto above the horizontal arm of said bracket to constitute a gravity-pawl. By means of its counterweight-loop said bracket is held at the proper working angle, as best shown in Fig. 1.

In pivotal connection with the vertical arm of bracket G are latches J, that engage the racks F on the frame-beams A, and fast on loose beam D, at that end of same back of said bracket, is a block K, in which turns the journal end I) of a screw L, for which a stationary nut M is provided intermediate of said frame-beams. The journal end of the screw is shown provided with an annular groove engaged bya machine-screw cin block K, whereby provision is had for ready separation of said screw from said block. The free end of screw L is shown as being angular for engagement with a crank or other means by which to apply power.

Hooped cheeses are laid in the press between the head-block N of its frame and the follower-block H, after which loose beam D is advanced by turning screwL in the proper direction. Because of the engagement of yoke I and rack E the follower-block moves forward with beam D and the latches J slip on the racks F to automatically catch and hold said follower-block in the position to which it is adjusted, and thus maintain the acquired pressure on the cheeses. The screw having been run up in the nut the full length of its thread and more pressure being necessary or desirable on the cheeses, said screw is run back to draw the beam D therewith, (rack E slipping in yoke 1,) and thereafter said beam is again moved forward to force follower-block H farther ahead.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cheese-press of the type specified, a loose center beam, an adjusting-screw in connection with the beam, a follower-block support on the beam, means for holding the follower-block support to said beam so as to have forward movement therewith, and other means for holding said follower-block in its forward adjusted position independent of the aforesaid beam.

2. In a cheese-press of the type specified, a loose center beam provided with a rack, an adj Listing-screw in connection with the beam, a follower-block bracket supported by said beam, a gravity-pawl in pivotal connection with the bracket and engaging the beamrack, other racks on framebeams of the press,

and latches in pivotal connection with said bracket to engage the frame-beam racks, the teeth of the loose-beam rack and those of frame-beam racks being beveled in opposite directions.

3. In a cheese-press of the type specified, a

' loose center beam having an under-side rack,

a nut supported between frame-beams of the press, a screw engaging the nut and having a journal end that turns in a block on the loose beam, a follower-block bracket supported by said loose beam, a counterweighted yoke in pivotal connection with the bracket and engaged with said rack, other racks on 

